Former Dons star swapped life at Hibs for working with Princes, Sultans and Kings in Brunei

Former Dons defender Jamie McAllister now works at Brunei club DPMM
-Credit: (Image: UGC)


East Kilbride is a long way away from the Sultan of Brunei's palace, but after checking out 7,000 cars in a garage with a net worth of £5billion, it was easy for Jamie McAllister to savour his new surroundings.

The former Aberdeen left-back took a lift to the first of the building's 17 floors. There, he was greeted by Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah - the heir apparent to the Sultan, and McAllister's new boss.

For a Scot raised by a working class family on the outskirts of Glasgow, it was an out-of-body experience to say the least, but he's now accustomed to his new life in Brunei.

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There, he is the head coach of Singapore Premier League side DPMM. McAllister took the job three months ago and has loved every minute of it.

He impressed the country's footballing federation so much they even asked him to take interim charge of the national side, with the 46-year-old making history in the process, writes the Daily Record.

By winning his two games, he led them to the group stage of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time. But even to be temporary international manager, the Crown Prince had to give his permission first.

He's the mega-rich owner of DPMM and gave McAllister his blessing. Now the ex-Hibs assistant is back on club business and eager to make his name as a boss in his own right.

Brunei is 7,000 miles away in Southeast Asia, and for McAllister it's a different world to the one he has been used to as a coach in the UK.

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The former Aberdeen, Hearts and Livingston left-back told Record Sport: "It has been a surreal experience for me. The Crown Prince, who is next in line to be Sultan, comes to our training every day. There's a police escort each morning which gets him here. And he's got a suite at the stadium where he watches our games.

"When I signed I met him on the second day. I went to the palace and it was incredible. To meet the next king was unreal. But he's such a nice man and really ambitious. Going to the palace was amazing. The grounds are huge and the building is stunning.

"The fleet of cars they have is unbelievable. If you name a top car he has it in that garage. We sat for an hour-and-a-half chatting. He was very supportive and clear in what he wants from me as manager and for the club.

"He has big plans for this country and football here. Everyone knows about the family's wealth but he's very humble. For someone like me, a working-class guy from East Kilbride, to be in that environment was such a contrast.

Jamie McAllister signs his contract with DPMM
Jamie McAllister signs his contract with DPMM -Credit:UGC

"To be working in Brunei as a head coach, who would have thought that 30 years ago? Certainly not me. The Prince and King Sultan are multi-billionaires but the club isn't run that way. It is run really efficiently and it's an exciting project for me."

McAllister decided a long time ago that he wanted to be a gaffer. He served his time as No.2 to Lee Johnson at Bristol City, Sunderland and Hibs. And when the opportunity came up to work abroad he grasped it.

Being on the other side of the world from his wife Ashleigh and four children Reuben, Amalie, Sophia and Maisie has been difficult. But McAllister is determined to make the most of it and isn't ruling out a longer-term stay with his family.

He said: "In the summer a contact asked if I'd be open to coaching in Asia. He knew clubs were looking for a young, British manager. I was immediately interested because I played in India. I was a player-coach under David James at Kerala Blasters in 2014.

"I sent the guy my CV and two clubs came back. But this one seemed right. I knew Steve Kean had been here and spoke very highly of the club. I also spoke to Brian McLean (ex-Rangers and Motherwell defender) who played for DPMM. They both recommended it and said it was a beautiful place to live.

Jamie McAllister swapped the Easter Road dugout for a new role in Brunei
Jamie McAllister swapped the Easter Road dugout for a new role in Brunei -Credit:UGC

"So it happened really quickly. It was a bit mad. It's very relaxed over here. It's a dry state with no alcohol or gambling allowed. It's just really chilled and the people are super-friendly. It's a great way of life.

"You can cross the border into Malaysia which is a bit different. Because we play in the Singapore League we fly to away games and that's a lovely country as well.

"It's totally different to back home. It can be chaotic at times but there's less pressure. Obviously the hardest thing is being away from my family. When I recently coached the national side here, one of the games was the same day as my twin daughters Sophia and Maisie's 12th birthday.

"As much as it was great to win the game I was gutted I couldn't be at home with my girls. It's a long way away. My wife was here recently but it took her 24 hours to get here. She flew from Aberdeen to Heathrow then to Singapore and on to Brunei.

"I've got three weeks off in November so I'll be back in Scotland to see the kids then. The club has been really helpful with sorting flights for us. I've signed a one-year contract that runs until May but that's open.

"They like what I'm doing at the moment and the vision I've got. But they know I can't commit to bringing my family here until it's a longer-term deal. That might happen in the future."

Ultimately, though, McAllister wants to manage at the highest level. At times he was a frustrated No.2 who was always destined to be the main man in the dugout.

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He said: "I feel like I've done my apprenticeship and I'm ready to take that step. There has never been any doubt about me wanting to be a manager. I've always had that ambition.

"I worked alongside Lee in big jobs. They were big opportunities at the time and that's why I chose to do it. I'm ambitious and I want to come back home at some point to work at the highest level possible.

"If you're an assistant you can give your opinion to the managers you work with. And when he makes a decision it's your job to support him. But it's nice to have autonomy. At times in the past I've disagreed with things and would maybe have done it differently.

"But I feel ready to take the next step now. I've had chances to be a manager before but this one came at the right time and it's a bit different.

"I'm in a lovely country, with a nice way of life and at a good club. I'm really open about the future. There's so much to improve and develop here and I want to be part of that. There's potential to do that whether it takes a year, two years or five I'm just excited to be here."